The media in the region write that several Western countries are pushing for the closure of the regional initiative “Open Balkans”.

Originally called the “Mini Schengen” Initiative, this initiative aims to bring peoples and nations closer together, both economically and politically.

The founders of this project are Macedonia, Serbia and Albania and Prime Ministers Zoran Zaev, Edi Rama and President Aleksandar Vucic have met several times in Skopje or Belgrade, and the last meeting was in Tirana before New Year’s.

Since then, there are no announcements for a new meeting and that coincides with the pressure that is being made to put an end to this initiative.

According to Serbian media, the biggest opponent of the “Open Balkans” initiative is Great Britain. Instead of Serbia, the intention is for Bulgaria to be the new leader of the region, even though this country has neither economic nor political capacity for such a thing.

Unlike the EU and Great Britain, the “Open Balkans” initiative has the support of the United States, but they want Kosovo and Montenegro to join, but they have so far refused.

The Serbian daily “Blic” also writes that the biggest pressure to get out of this initiative is on Macedonia and that Prime Minister Kovacevski is the weakest link when compared to Rama and Vucic.